The LWF Blog
Fire Safety Engineering for Design – Sprinkler Maintenance – Part 259
November 3, 2025 10:04 amLWF’s Fire Safety Engineering blog series is written for Architects, building designers and others in the construction industry to highlight and promote discussion on all topics around fire engineering. In part 258, LWF talked about the commissioning and testing of sprinkler systems, starting with water supply testing. In part 259, we take a look at the maintenance of sprinkler systems.
Once a sprinkler system design and installation is complete, the water supply tested, the next task to ensure operational efficiency is to follow the requirements for maintenance.
Technical Bulletin 203: Care and maintenance of automatic sprinkler systems for BS EN 12845 is available as a free download from the Fire Protection Association.
If the system in question has been designed to NFPA13 standards, a maintenance schedule can be obtained from NFPA 25: Standard for the inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems.
The end user of a building, and therefore a fire suppression system, may prefer to engage the services of the installer or an accredited servicing company to undertake all appropriate testing, maintenance and servicing that needs to be carried out.
The ‘Red Book’ or LPS 1048 scheme lists suitable contractors to undertake sprinkler system maintenance (PDF download).
Within the end-user’s organisation, it is important that all appropriate personnel are made aware of any actions that should be taken in the event of a fire on the premises. In addition, and just as importantly, if there is any indication of damage to a part of the sprinkler system, staff should be made aware that this should be reported immediately and appropriately to the responsible person or nominated person in charge of fire safety on the premises.
Following a fire or damage to a fire suppression system, the system will be shut down for repairs and/or replacement of sprinklers and this work should be undertaken as quickly as possible to restore the system to an operational condition. All interested authorities must be informed and the stock of replacement sprinkler heads on site must be replenished immediately.
Care should be taken following a fire to ensure that all damaged components are replaced. This may necessitate a thorough inspection by a suitably qualified person in order to establish the full extent of any fire damage.
In part 260 of LWF’s series on fire engineering we will look at sprinkler systems designed for property protection and life safety and the potential differences. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this blog, or wish to discuss your own project with one of our fire engineers, please contact us.
Lawrence Webster Forrest has been working with their clients since 1986 to produce innovative and exciting building projects. If you would like further information on how LWF and fire strategies could assist you, please contact the LWF office on 0800 410 1130.
While care has been taken to ensure that information contained in LWF’s publications is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information.